Red Stalked Jellyfish
by ur1onlybravecoward
Summary: What happens when Tsukimi and Kuranosuke make a skirt together while everyone else is asleep? *Nothing bad, just fluff*


This is my first fan fic for this anime, but when I saw the series, I fell in love! I hope they're making a second one! Let me know if you hear anything about that, please! I don't own Kuragehime.

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We had been working on the project for a good 10 hours now, starting at five in the afternoon, and my hands were starting to cramp. I put down the needle and thread I had been using for the detailing and stepped back from the skirt we had been perfecting. Seeing I only had three more beads to put on, I sighed and went back to work.

. . . one . . . . .two. Oh, pooh . . . . Two . . . . aaaaand . . . three. There, done. Standing back up, I stretched my arms above my head and groaned, hearing my back crack. I straitened the tank top I had on for the summer heat and rolled my shoulders.

"You done over there?" I heard Kuranoske ask. I murmured in response and he sighed. "Good, that means we're all done as soon as I'm finished with this detailing. Just give me a few minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to get some tea, would you like some?"

"Yea, sure."

I watched him for a moment and it dawned on me that he was already sucked back into his work, blocking out everything else. As much as he thought we were otakus he was just as big as we were, only his was more acceptable. With a start I realized I had been staring at him. Whirling around, I walked stiffly into the kitchen and began making the tea.

_What's happening mom? _I thought, worried. _That has to have been the third time this week I've caught myself doing something like that. What's happening to me? _I'd always heard about silly young girls thinking they were in love when they did things like that, but certainly I wouldn't be one of . . . of _them._

Sighing, I pushed it out of my head and walked back into the makeshift craft room, baring the tray of tea. It looked like the skirt was all done. Well, it had looked done for a good three hours, once most of the detailing was on. The only reason I knew it was completely finished was because Kuranoske was no longer bent over one side, but sprawled on the floor, his wig and most of his clothes off, in what looked like a deep sleep.

With a small gasp and muttered curse I set down the tea and whirled back to the door, shutting it as quickly and quietly as I could. _What _was that boy thinking? Jamming a broom in the side of the door to make sure it wouldn't open, I slid to the floor and rested my head against the wood. I couldn't keep doing this.

Turning back around, I looked critically at the skirt. It was supposed to be in the style of the Red Stalked Jellyfish. I'd added triangle pleating so that the ends would flair out when you spun, or hang down in pieces when you stayed still, but I wasn't sure they would flair well with the beading we added on the ends, even if it was very light.

I looked over at Kurako one more time to make sure 'she' was asleep and then walked over to the skirt. I slid out of my jean skirt and into the new one. Looking down I smiled, swaying my hips. The fabric moved softly against my skin and I instantly loved the way it felt. Reaching my hands up, I let down my hair and combed my fingers through its dark waves. Looking down again I twirled on my toes and watched as the skirt flew away from my legs. It was beautiful. The beading caught the light and flashed back in muted oranges and reds, accenting the light crimson color we chose for the skirt itself. The inside pleats fanned out, showing off the gauzy red fabric that was hidden before I'd moved.

Bubbling with joy at what we had created, I spun again, throwing my bare arms out to catch the air, feeling my hair lift up in the wind. Stumbling to a halt, I hugged my arms around my waist, but froze as soon as I saw Kuranoske.

"You were asleep," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Just resting my eyes," he replied, his eyes still wide.

_Wide with what?_ I wondered _Shock? Disgust? Amusement? Certainly not awe. Right?_

"Spin again, would you?"

"Why?" I asked, my arms tightening around my waist. _Don't make fun of me._

"I want to make sure we stitched the pleating right."

I searched his face for a hint of scorn, but couldn't find any. Hunching my shoulders a bit, I spun as quickly as I could. It didn't last long enough; the skirt just swirled around my legs and didn't flutter like before.

"No, do it again, like you just were," he was getting up now, walking over to where I was standing.

Cringing inwardly, I took a deep breath and forced my arms to unhook from around my waist. Extending them slightly from my sides, I lifted myself onto my toes and started spinning faster.

At first I was looking straight ahead, wishing this were over already. Feeling the fabric lift off my legs again, I started to slow down.

"Don't stop."

Clenching my teeth, I sped back up and continued spinning. My hair spun away from my neck and my arms extended more, until I found myself looking at the ceiling, a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

Suddenly, my right foot caught behind my left shin, and I felt my world tip to the side. Gasping, I threw my hands out to catch my fall, and braced myself for the floor. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt warm arms catch me.

"Whoa, no need to spin that much," Kuranoske teased.

I just blushed more and ducked my head. Glancing back up I saw he was making an odd face. Lifting my head, I looked at him quizzically. With a jolt, I realized how close we were. When I had fallen, the only way he could have caught me was by diving straight at me. One arm wrapped just beneath my shoulder blades, the other bracing us both against the floor, his knees planted on either side of me, our heads not even half a foot apart.

I was about to move out of his hold when he shifted closer, pulling me up toward his chest. I looked up in surprise and found he was staring at me. His eyes were slightly hooded, like they had been when he had picked that green-tea leaf off my forehead. Thinking about that set my heart pounding and my mind reeled. _What was happening? _

He pushed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. I saw his cheeks clench as he swallowed, smelled his breath, slightly sweet from the candy he had been eating earlier. I looked up at the eyes and I felt as though someone had shot mini bottle rockets off inside me. A whizzing, buzzing, frothy feeling whirred and rebounded inside me, making me dizzy.

I blinked woozily and felt him shift again. His lips came closer to mine, ever so slowly closer. I felt my mouth start to tingle and my breath caught in my throat for a moment. He paused just centimeters away and I almost wanted to moan.

_Moan? What the hell is going on?_

I heard him swallow again, and then his lips were on mine, their softness light on my mouth. I felt the bottle rockets inside me burst into all-out bombs. Forget fireworks. My safe, enclosed little world shattered around me in to sparkling little bits. I felt everything in sharp detail, the hard floor, the soft fabric of our skirt, the silence of a sleeping house, the solitude of his grip on my back. I felt as I do whenever I dream about watching the jellyfish with my mother, the quiet stillness so unusual with the rancorous joy rapidly filling my small frame.

He broke away softly, and rested his forehead against mine again. It was a small shift, but I suddenly felt his body to rigid. His eyes flew open and his arm slid out from behind me. In the span of a second he was halfway across the room, his eyes wild.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I mean. . . I, well, I didn't think. I. . ." I saw his hands start to shake and he ran them through his hair, absently. "I-I'll get out. I understand if . . . if you don't want me back here." He started toward the door and I suddenly realized what was happening.

"Wait," my voice was too soft, my mind still trying to get over the shock of what had just happened.

He grabbed his wig and clothes, practically running out the door.

"Wait!"

He stopped, his hand on the broom blocking the door, his back to me.

"Ummm. . ." I was at a loss for words. "I, uh . . . d-don't go. . . please?" I looked at his back and saw his shoulders relax. He turned toward me slowly, his hand slipping off the broom handle.

"What?" His eyes were wide again, their blue-grey depths startling.

I looked down, unable to handle his gaze. "I, ummm. . . I don't mind w-what happened. It's okay, I guess. Ju-just don't go. Please?"

I heard rustling and footsteps before I looked up again. He had dropped his clothes and wig, and was now standing right in front of me, looking right at my face. His gaze flicked between my eyes, looking for a lie.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. I just nodded. I saw his shoulders relax more and he sighed in relief, his eyes closing momentarily. When he had opened them again he was back to the old Kurako.

"That's a rather pretty skirt on you. We should try making another one of your designs. Which one do you think we should-" he had started to turn around to look at the sketches I had made, but stopped when he felt my tug on his jeans. I couldn't look at his face again, and my cheeks felt hot.

"C-could we maybe try that again?" I asked.

When I flicked my eyes up to see when he looked like I nearly smiled. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were huge with surprise, and his cheeks were almost as red as mine felt.

"What?" He asked softly. "The spinning, or-" I shook my head and stepped closer to him.

"No, no spinning"

"oh."

He looked down at me and smiled. Placing both hands on my hips, he leaned his face down to mine, and kissed me.

* * *

Sending you all love!


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